Players who regularly play gaming machines quickly tire of particular games and therefore it is necessary for manufacturers of these machines to develop innovative game features, which add interest to the games. In so doing, it is hoped to keep players interested and entertained and therefore willing to continue playing the game, as well as to attract new players.
Also, with the growth that has occurred in the gaming machine market, there is intense competition between manufacturers to supply various existing and new venues. When selecting a supplier of gaming machines, the operator of a venue will often pay close attention to the popularity of various games with their patrons. Therefore, gaming machine manufacturers are keen to devise games and/or game features that are popular with the players as a mechanism for improving sales, retaining customers and attracting new customers.
An increasingly popular method of playing gaming machines is for players of the gaming machines to either work together or compete against each other for a common prize. This provides the players with a heightened sense of anticipation and enjoyment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,980 describes linking gambling machines to each other and jointly filling a jackpot. A bonus game is provided where players put a bet on an occurrence of a game result (e.g. the outcome of a simulated horse race). The final game is activated simultaneously in all participating gambling machines and it is determined in the final game which of the players has correctly played the displayed game result. The jackpot is paid out according to the determined rank sequence and winning quota.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,568 describes an interactive gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming machines, each comprising a wagering game and a theme game, and a controller for electronically linking the gaming machines. In one embodiment, the plurality of players play the wagering game as a group, wherein if one player's theme game results meet predetermined criteria, that particular player will play for the group. In another embodiment, the plurality of players play as a group wherein activation of each player's wagering game either helps or hinders the group in a whole in its effort to achieve a predetermined goal. In a further embodiment, the players play their respective wagering game so as to directly compete against each other in the theme game.
International patent publication number WO03/046850 describes deploying a single bonus wheel in sight of the gaming devices and in addition, each gaming device includes an additional graphics display to display bonus game results. The bonus game involves a game using a spinning wheel and players qualify for the bonus game through play of a base game and may quality multiple times. Before, concurrently with, or subsequent to the spin of the wheel, a controller randomly draws an entry from the total combined pool of entries associated with all qualified base games and awards the bonus to the gaming device (and player) associated with the winning entry, which may also be characterized as a “raffle ticket”, the determination of the winning player being implemented as a random drawing, or raffle. Players with more entries or raffle tickets have a higher probability of winning the bonus award, but receive the same return or payback on their investment in base game play as players with fewer entries, due to their greater investment in base game play to obtain the additional entries.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a gaming system incorporating a shared game between gaming terminals and/or a method of operating a gaming system incorporating a shared game between gaming terminals that provides increased interest and entertainment for at least some players over such systems and methods at present, or at least to provide a gaming system and/or a method of operating a gaming system that provides the public with a useful choice.
Any reference in this specification to the prior art does not constitute, nor should it be considered, an admission that such prior art was widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia, or in any other jurisdiction, before the priority date of any of the appended claims.
Throughout the specification the term “comprise” and variations on this term including “comprising” and “comprises” are to be understood to imply the inclusion of a feature, integer, step or element, and not to exclude other features, integers, steps or elements.